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Although the Emancipation Proclamation freed all
Confederate slaves in 1863, the following decades were rife with racism and
racial inequality. A set of formal and
informal social and legal policies throughout the Southern United States called
the “Jim Crow” laws enforced racial segregation and continued to deny African
Americans their full rights as American citizens. Jim Crow segregation also applied to
hospitals, medical care, and medical education. Hospitals sometimes had separate wards for
black patients, but often would not accept black patients at all, let alone
employ black doctors and nurses. It was
especially hard for African-American women physicians, who struggled against
both racial and gender discrimination.
Once they graduated, early African-American women doctors faced
difficulties establishing their professional careers and gaining experience. At
least into the 1920s, available hospital positions were limited to the few
black-owned and operated hospitals around the country.

It was difficult for African-American women
physicians to find internships, and WMCP tried to place all of the graduates
with jobs. However, not all jobs were
close to Philadelphia or the hometowns of the women, and this made securing a
position after graduation more challenging.

Cite this source: Title of document, date. Early African-American Woman Physicians: She has undertaken a Herculean task. Doctor or Doctress?: Explore American history through the eyes of women physicians. The Legacy Center, Drexel University College of Medicine Archives & Special Collections. Philadelphia, PA. Date of access. http://lcdc.library.drexel.edu/islandora/object/islandora:1856